Spreadsheet Models for Managers

Getting Access to Spreadsheet Models for Managers

If you use Excel to model businesses, business processes, or
business transactions, this course will change your life. You’ll learn how to create tools for yourself that will amaze
even you. Unrestricted use of this material is available in two ways.

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At this Web site

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Unlimited usage. I’m constantly making improvements and you’ll get them as soon as they’re available.

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If all other cells in the row are empty, the row caption need not be justified

Row caption cells must be directly adjacent to the first cell of the data they caption

Row captions are in mixed case

Numeric caption, comment, or heading cells can have any alignment, unless otherwise required

Column headings are centered, in mixed case

Numeric data cells are right aligned or general aligned

Here are some practices that reduce maintenance costs and improve usability.

When linking across sheets, we introduce a source of error and increased maintenance costs when we use explicit cell references,
because it’s difficult to know what the target of the link is. By using a named range in cross-sheet links, we tell the maintainer
more about what is being done and why.

The practices regarding row captions are intended to make them more readable. Column headings are formatted so as to make them stand out
and distinguish them from data.

Many believe that the main benefit of spreadsheet inspections is that they locate issues so they
can be fixed. Certainly they do accomplish that. But spreadsheet inspections, when performed
early enough and often enough, can actually prevent problems. And preventing problems is
certainly more valuable than locating them.

We hope that you’ll apply what you learn about spreadsheet inspections when you work on your
projects. If you’re working in a team, review your project schedule and decide when would be
advantageous times to insert an inspection or two. If you’re working alone, ask someone else
who’s working alone if they would be willing to inspect your project in exchange for your
inspecting theirs.

Since we don’t grade on a curve, helping someone else doesn’t hurt you. Inspection exchanges
raise the quality of both projects — and both grades.
Whatever you do, don’t wait until the end to do your inspections.